Aircraft carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to circle Plovdiv airport in Bulgaria for an hour on Sunday after its satellite navigation system was jammed, with Bulgarian authorities suspecting Russian involvement.
Commission deputy spokesperson Arianna Podestà confirmed the incident, stating that Bulgarian authorities believe the interference was a blatant act by Russia. She noted that the EU is accustomed to such threats and intimidation as part of Russia's hostile behaviour.
GPS jamming has become increasingly common in airspace near Russia, particularly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In March 2024, a similar incident affected a plane carrying then-UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps near Kaliningrad.
According to an internal EU document, jamming and spoofing attacks have escalated sharply, with Poland recording 2,732 cases in January 2025 and Lithuania 1,185. The document describes these as systemic, deliberate actions by Russia and Belarus.
The European Commission announced sanctions on Monday against companies involved in GPS disruption and said it is developing an aviation-specific plan to counter jamming. Podestà added that the incident reinforces the EU's commitment to boosting defence capabilities and supporting Ukraine.
